Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-08
EURoPEAEIZING AMERICA.

Rev. J. Coleman Adams, in the October
Forum, answers the question negatively
SIS America Europeanizing?" His reasons
are stated with force and boldness Ad
mitting that the country is beset with
perils, he still believes that our absorbent
capacity will prevent foreignism from de-
veloping great strength; that an alien can
not live here six months without the pro-
cess of shedding the foreign shell begin
ming.
While Mr.. Adams does not ignore the
Anarchist and Socialist, and the vicious
and lazy classes that talk and plot against
order nor yet the disconnected who fly to
new preachers of political and social alb
surdities, nor the dangers of actual social
trouble that may shake the foundations of
society and imperil order and law, he
nevertheless believes the republic to be
safe, and its institutions able to withstand
the storms that now threaten, and all that
may approach because, despite the foreign
income, America remains American, and
the intelligent foreigner becomes American
fully aud wholly. All the influences of
Anarchism, he points out, failed to accom-
plish results at the ballot-box in Chicago
fact to which we think he attaches too
much Importance, in view of the remark
able readiness of the demagogues and mere
politicians TO give comfort to the Socialistic
element, in the hope of making it a means
to the attainment Of their selfish ends
IT is true that the nation remains loyal
to its fundamental ideas, and that the
powerful Influences which operate upon
the immigration tide, tend to modify ii
and assimilate it to the ways of thinking
and behaving characteristic of this coun-
try" But it is likewise true that very
considerable portion adheres to the hatred
of all restraint, which they import, and
that this element has within the last ten
years remarkably increased, numerically
and in holiness. The essayist holds that
the most stubborn of this revolutionary
class are reduced in generation to con-
formity to Americanism We have not,
however, had generation of experience
in that direction, and Mr. Adams hope
fulness rather than fact, is the basis of his
argument. Certainly, the civil var was
searching test of loyalty to the American
idea, but it was not then assailed by APP
peals to the greed and the poverty of the
Disconnected.
The growth of the temperance sentiment
is cited as an instance of the overcoming
of foreign prejudices, States with an i'm
mense voting foreign population having
declared in favor of restriction OF the IL
quor traffic, in one form or another. But
Mr.. Adams overlooks the fact that the So
cialist element is favorable to the interfer-
euce by the State in all such matters, and
breaches II us fundamental doctrine. We
are willing to concede that the ballot and
1t substructural principle, liberty with re-
sponsibility," is the foundation of freedom,
since the way to beget trustworthiness is
to impose trust" But the American
sentiment to which he largely pins his
faith, is very strongly inclined to put a
limitation upon the exercise OF sovereignty,
and measure it by capacity to intelligently
administer it, and disagrees with the idea
advanced, that the participation of the
ignorant with the intelligent in governing
is an indispensable agent in Americanizing
America
Mr.. Adams takes issue point blank with
the generally accepted doctrine that there
is grave peril in the massing of the igno-
rant and vicious in cities, and that rural
life is the greater conservator of free insti-
tutions The reason advanced is that this
massing brings the dangerous classes more
directly within the influence of progressive
ideas, the press, the club, the lecture hall
and the political meetings, and thus the
currents of city life drift the people for
ward. There is one conclusion arrived at
upon this line of reasoning, to which there
will be no dissent-that the safety and
hope of municipal governments resides in
the principle of local self-government, as
opposed to the turning of city management
over to the legislation of rural populations.
This is in line with the doctrine the REC
oRD-UNIoN has constantly maintained,
that the closer government is brought to
the people the safer and better for it and
them. One-half or more of the ills of
municipal misgovernment and uneconomic
administration in California has been due
to the effort of the Legislature to govern
the cities directly We are convinced.
however, that beyond this Mr.. Adams over
estimates the virtue Of " the discipline of
responsibility"
The influence of the public schools
MS vigorous force in the trans
formation Of the alien into an Amer
lean, is another factor upon which
the essayist dwells at length. He
gives no thought, however. to the I'M
disguised and persistent effort to en-
croach upon the system and to denom-
inationalize the schools. As a matter of
fact, this in some States has made alarming
progress, and in at least one some millions
of public money go to the support of
church eiucs tional institutions under the
guise Of charities and on the plea that
these institutions relieve the public school
system of a portion of its burdens. In
truth, that is precisely what is not desired.
1t is dangerous doctrine that maintains
the plea for aid of private institutions out
of public funds because those they educate
are taken from the public schools. Mr..
Adams has nothing to say whatever con-
corning the influences that have been 50
potent in attaching to the school system